How to Tie the Prospector Stone – Step-by-Step Guide

VideosFly Tying

May 1

The Prospector Stone, created by Arlo Townsend and popularized through Landon Mayer’s Guide Flies, is a weighty, impressionistic stonefly nymph that gets down quickly and performs exceptionally well across a variety of water types.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Hook & Bead

Secure a Firehole 523 size 8 hook in your vise.
Slide on a 3/16” (4.5mm) faceted slotted tungsten bead in gold.
Wrap 10 turns of .030 lead wire behind the bead and push it forward to help seat the bead and bulk up the thorax.

Step 2: Thread Base

Start your light Cahill Uni 6/0 thread behind the lead wire.
Build a small thread bump at the back of the shank to help splay the tails.

Step 3: Tails

Select two rusty brown goose biots.
Measure to about the length of the hook shank.
Tie them in so they splay outward, using the thread bump as a base.
Secure them forward to the lead wire.

Step 4: Ribbing

Tie in a piece of brassy gold ultra wire on the near side of the hook, wrapping it back to the tail.

Step 5: Body

Tie in natural color nymph skin.
Stretch slightly and wrap it forward, overlapping slightly to form a tapered body up to the middle of the lead wraps.
Tie off and trim.

Step 6: Ribbing Wrap

Counter-wrap the ultra wire forward over the nymph skin to create segmentation.
Tie off and helicopter the wire to break it cleanly.

Step 7: Thread Switch

Switch to black 12/0 or thinner thread (like GSP 30) for the thorax area.
Start just behind the bead and wrap back toward the body.

Step 8: Flashback Layer

Fold 7–8 strands of black holographic flash around your thread and tie it in on top of the shank, extending backward toward the rear of the thorax.
Secure with a few wraps and clip into a material holder.

Step 9: Wing Case Base

Cut and tie in a thin strip of black Thin Skin, shiny side down, directly on top of the shank, just behind the bead.

Step 10: Antennae

Tie in two additional goose biots (same color as tails) on either side of the hook just behind the bead.
Trim to the desired length (about the same as the bead’s diameter).

Step 11: Legs

Use MFC Barred Sexy Floss (brown/copper) to create rear and front legs.
Fold the floss over your thread and tie in a set of legs on each side of the body.
Walk the rear legs toward the back of the thorax and front legs toward the bead, maintaining spacing for the thorax.

Step 12: Thorax

Tie in three strands of tan ostrich herl.
Wrap the herl forward in touching turns to fill the thorax space.
Tie off behind the bead.

Step 13: Wing Case

Fold the Thin Skin strip forward and secure it behind the bead with a few tight wraps.
Repeat with the flashback strands on top of the Thin Skin.
Tie off and trim excess.

Step 14: Whip Finish & Epoxy

Whip finish or secure with adhesive like Zap-A-Gap if thread breaks.
Apply a thin coat of UV resin (e.g., Solarez Bone Dry) over the wing case to create a domed bubble.
Cure with a UV torch.